


Begin and End

by Rikkamaru



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Log Horizon
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Families of Choice, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 02:38:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4287546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rikkamaru/pseuds/Rikkamaru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is how it begins: a boy rejected by his family, a boy reunited with his brother by his sister-in-law's intervention. A boy who found a family in an online game. But how will it end?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Begin and End

This is how it begins.

There was a boy born into a well-to-do family, firstborn in the newest generation. His parents loved him, until a few years passed and they realized: he was incapable of magic. He wasn't born with it like they were, he was rejected from the gift that ran through their veins. Disgusted, the mother rejected him from their family, and he was sent to live with a distant line in Japan.

But the child remembered these things, even if he never told his new parents about it. Though he couldn't remember his original name, Shirogane Kei knew there was magic in this world. And he knew he was never meant to be a part of that secret, beautiful world. And perhaps that hurt, but not as much as his parents' rejection did.

A few years later he met his little brother, as his original parents dropped by to check on their firstborn and the branch family. He was sweet, and took to following Kei around, and he happily shared his toys with the boy and read to him as the boy's parents (he wouldn't acknowledge them by a title they never earned) quietly asked Kei's own parents if the Kirin sanctuary was going well.

(Kei would never tell them that, squib or no, the young Kirin had taken to following him around, their parents doing nothing to stop them as if they saw potential in him that no one else could see. He knew the legends, and wouldn't dare have such a spotlight directed on him of his own volition. Not like he really believed that he had _potential_.)

When his little brother left, Kei was quite sad to see him go but was happy that the child's parents were at least treating _him_ well.

It was years and years later that his brother came to Japan to visit, now officially the heir of their family. He had become arrogant, cruel in the way only a child who had rarely heard "no" could be, and reminded Kei of the bullies that often plagued his life. Despite that, the child looked at him with some kindness, still respecting the fact that they were family, even if he only assumed them to be cousins.

His brother was a child of his upbringing, but that was to be expected. He knew nothing of modern technology, of internet or computers or even microwaves. It made it difficult for the older boy to connect with his magical brother, as he wouldn't understand the significance of MMOs or playing a character with abilities not like your own.

Though perhaps he would understand Kei playing as an Enchanter (because even as his blood lacked magic his soul yearned for it).

But none of this stopped the fact that his little brother was a bully and he hoped someone would help him tone it down or else James could easily lose anything he held dear if he didn't have the will to control himself.

And Kei, rejected squib of the Potter line or not, didn't want to see that for his family.

* * *

When James had visited as a thirteen year old, he had been mischievous but cruel, charismatic but ignorant of just how his words could hurt others. When he visited again at age seventeen, he came accompanied by a redheaded woman that Kei was quick to approve of for his little brother. The heir to the Potter line had swept in like he owned the place (and maybe he thought he did, but Kei knew four different arguments on how that was most certainly _not_ the case), only to immediately be cowed by his scowling wife.

"I don't care if this is a branch family's house or your _grandmother's_ house," she hissed at him, her elbow in his side. "Be polite, James." And then she stepped forward and offered an awkward bow to Kei's silently panicking father. "Please excuse my husband – he's a bit of an idiot at times."

With the way Kei's father and James both began sputtering, his father out of propriety and James in a bid to save his ego, it wasn't entirely Kei's fault that he let out a delighted laugh and stepped forward to bow to her in greeting. "It is an honor to meet someone James-sama cares so deeply for. I am Shirogane Kei, James-sama's…distant cousin." Kei shifted his glasses a little as he straightened. "How distant is beyond even us at this point."

"I'm Lily," she divulged, her intense green eyes zeroing in on him as recognition of certain features were acknowledged: the messy hair, the large glasses, the subtle slouch that signified nervousness. "And I'm sure it's gotten quite convoluted at this point," she acknowledged, but something in the way she said it made Kei tense and curse himself for his own curiosity. He should've anticipated that someone close to James might see more of the resemblances between them than family would.

(And maybe he _had_ anticipated it, maybe he _knew_ someone might catch on to their family's dirty little secret. Maybe he _wanted_ this particular one to be known. Kei honestly wasn't sure at this point.)

They spoke casually after that, asking after one another's education. He was impressed to learn that she was top of her class at Hogwarts alongside James, and she seemed equally impressed, if not more so, when she found out he had graduated college with a Bachelor's in Engineering and was now in graduate school. She then had to spend the next ten minutes explaining the muggle education system to her confused husband, much to Kei's amusement.

After talking for a while, Kei excused himself as he had to return to his dorm (no he wasn't running away what was there to run away from he was used to talking to people after all). And as interesting as talking with them had been, he was relieved to return to Elder Tale, only wishing that Naotsugu could play once more before he dismissed these thoughts and returned to traveling through Yamato with a group he'd come across.

* * *

"We're expecting!" Lily exclaimed happily to him over the phone, and Kei blinked in surprise.

"How did you get this number?" He asked back, before pausing. "I mean, congratulations, that is absolutely wonderful, but how did you get this number? And how do you have a working phone at your house if it's magical?"

"I called in some favors," she sniffed back haughtily, and Kei laughed at how she either dodged a question or answered both with that one statement.

"I'm going to assume that James asked my parents, for my own sanity at least," he told her back, before returning to the original topic. "Do you know the gender? When will it arrive?"

"We think it'll be a boy," she gushed, obviously happy to talk to someone about her baby (and Kei was near-certain at this point that she knew he was more related to James than any of them said, with her so eager to talk to him about his brother's child). "And he's due near the end of July."

"Should I plan to fly in around that time then?" he asked, because he may be a shut-in but this was family and family were given exceptions for a number of things. He'd assumed it would be a rhetorical question until he felt Lily hesitate on other end of the line. Kei frowned. "Is something going wrong, Lily-sama?"

"It's just Lily, Kei," she answered by automatically, before regaining focus. "And I don't think you should come in. There's a war brewing over here and having a squib of the Potter line arriving would all but ensure that you'll be a target."

Kei sat there in stunned disbelief for a moment before narrowing his eyes. "There's a war brewing over there…you're expecting a child…and you two aren't _leaving_? How does that make any sense?" Kei spun in his chair a little out of agitation, eyes flickering to his screens for a moment before returning to staring at the blank wall across from him.

"We _can't_ leave anymore," Lily confided, quiet and her tone near desperate. "They've…they've already killed my parents and any type of magical correspondence is near useless outside of being used to track either side. The only reason we can talk is because the Dark greatly underestimate the innovation of muggles and so dismiss the telephone as a viable means of communicating."

Kei scowled a little but there was nothing he could do about it. "Until you both need to shut down talking with anyone completely, I do want to hear from you. It's been years after all." With that they casually talked about James' job as an Auror and Lily's research as into runes and applications of rune layouts in archways and structures until James returned and Kei spent even longer talking with James before bidding them farewell and sighing into his hands.

"What am I going to do with them?" he asked, afraid for the things to come for this tiny family, before a beep brought his attention to his game once more.

 _ **Shiroe-dono**_ , it read, _**is everything alright? You have not moved from this spot for I assume two hours.**_

Kei quickly put his headset back on and shifted his character a little, so that he better faced the silhouette he could barely make out on his screen. "Ah, sorry Akatsuki-san; I was AFK for those two hours. I hope you didn't wait for me."

 _ **Shiroe-dono** **is worth waiting for**_ , was all that the Assassin's text box said in response to his implied inquiry, and Kei blushed a little at the compliment before returning to the matter at hand.

* * *

"Congratulations on Harry's successful birth," Kei said into the phone as he took his dinner out of the microwave, sitting on his bed rather than his gaming chair as he was safely logged out and not under threat of being PK-ed. "I know my gift wasn't very impressive, but –"

"Stop, it was wicked," James interrupted, but he sounded so happy as he was speaking that any bite in his words was completely lost. "Making a missive congratulating Harry on entering the battlefield of life that looked like something from medieval Europe was definitely not something we were expecting, and the Kirin plushie will definitely be loved while he's still a baby."

"Good," Kei breathed out in relief. "I should hope that Kirin items would be well-received, as we do have the Kirin sanctuary in Kyoto. That's what the Shirogane family was left here to take care of, after all."

"For some reason Mum and Dad never mentioned that to me," James told him, and it sounded as if he were frowning slightly in confusion. "Did they forget?"

"Perhaps. Or maybe your parents didn't think it worth mentioning as the Shirogane are tending to them and have not needed the main house's input in quite some time. With Harry's arrival, what will your family do during the war? It is still in progress, correct?"

"Yeah," James sighed, wistful but bitter. "And with how much we've done to interfere with the Dark Lord's plans, Lils and I will have to go into hiding with Harry if we want to stay safe. I'm sorry to say this Kei, but this will likely be the last time we'll get to talk until the war finishes."

Kei felt a block of ice form in his chest at that, thought of his brother and sister-in-law and nephew, out of contact with him and in constant danger and unable to leave, thought of the lonely years surrounded by happy moments only achieved when his family was near him and smiling, thought of all of this but couldn't refute their plans. Family came first, and Kei wouldn't let his selfishness threaten their safety. "I understand James. Just…call me when you can. We'll have to make up all of the birthdays and Christmases we'll miss together."

The head of the Potter family laughed, some of the tension in his voice ebbing away. "Definitely. I'll even introduce you to my friends; I think you'd get along great with Remus." A pleasant feeling shot through Kei with those words, and (not for the first time) he wondered if James knew more than he let on about Kei's rather strange situation in the family. A part of him hoped so; having his little brother actually _know_ they were siblings would be…nice. Another part, the part of him that feared the unknown and out of routine, shirked from the thought, but Kei ignored it. It wasn't nearly as strong when it was directed at those Kei cared for.

"I look forward to it," Kei told him. A statement. A promise.

* * *

The months crept by slowly, but Kei grew used to the even greater silence that blanketed his life without the random calls from James and Lily. He hadn't realized that he had grown so used to them until he caught himself growing unusually tense and fidgety after three months without hearing a word from them. So he shook it off, let the silence resettle over him, and threw himself into Elder Tale and his studies with equal fervor in an effort to ignore the restlessness that'd settled over him.

His grades, already very good due to his work ethic and desire to be employed right out of grad school, were even more firmly fixed in the high range with this sudden burst of desperate focus and research. A number of guilds were likely surprised to see Shiroe joining them more often in their raids, but neither DDD nor the Black Swords said anything about it. He watched the influx of items into his vaults with an uncaring eye, only looking for the next distraction. The twins were a relief in that regard, but they weren't on as often as Shiroe.

Akatsuki was the only real constant in Shiroe's life during this time, often conveniently appearing when the Enchanter began looking for something to do, occasionally with news of nearby raids or ruins that may grab his attention.

The Assassin was always there when Kei felt low, and he hoped he could one day return the favor.

And then, the months seemed to fly by with Kei under this haze of school and Elder Tale until he was eagerly awaiting the release of the Novasphere Pioneers with many others. Then the clock ticked over, and Kei woke up, and wasn't Kei anymore.

And so Shiroe's journey to understand the world he was placed in began.

* * *

Akatsuki looked up when she heard her lord shifting in his chair, and let a small smile escape at the sight that greeted her. Shiroe was still at his desk, but instead of working on the seemingly never-ending supply of paperwork, he was cradling a light spirit in his hands, looking at it with unabashed interest which the creature was matching with its own curious stare.

The ninja watched as Enchanter and spirit entered a staring contest for what appeared to be minutes, until her lord sighed and shifted one of his hands to stroke the spirit over the head, which appeared to make it freeze for a moment before it eagerly pushed against his hand with a croon. Her smile grew at the sight, and at the happy light in her lord's eyes.

When they had first entered this world, her lord had been the only one that could keep his calm and rationality as those around them succumbed to the chaos that always followed when there were no laws or restrictions. And Akatsuki had clung to that, made him her anchor and reason to push herself. She must get strong, so that her lord would remain safe.

But, in the beginning, there had been this look in her lord's eyes, one that had frightened her a little. It had been real, undeniable anger, an anger born from a fear that wouldn't escape him. And it had never left, lingering like a second cloak around his form until they went to Eastal Kingdom's banquet and met Regan. Akatsuki hadn't noticed right away, but the fear and anger that had been so woven into her lord's form while they were in Elder Tale had faded away, eased by something that Regan had said.

She wonders what it could have been to comfort her lord so greatly.

A soft laugh made her regain focus once more, and she nearly laughed herself at the sight that greeted her. Her lord had returned to his paper work but hadn't dismissed the light spirit. Instead, the light spirit was perched on his shoulder, the little ball of light watching Shiroe work in fascination. While the scene was endearing, Akatsuki had to know. "My lord," she called, easily gaining Shiroe's attention as he looked up and placed his quill down on his desk. "Why do you keep your light spirit out so often, when it is unnecessary?"

The half-alv cocked his head to the side at her question, though she read from his body language that he was merely mulling over her question rather than confused by it. "I suppose…I enjoy having such immediate access to my magic, and like using it as much as I can before we return home. Just having the magic is more than I could have ever hoped for."

Akatsuki nodded sharply at that. "That makes sense my lord; after all it is not like we have such capabilities in our original world." She would have continued on were it not for the strange emotion that flickered over her lord's face when she said that, as if he wanted to say something but was silenced by some unknown worry. "My lord?"

Shiroe finally let out a sigh, quiet and tired and hollow in a way that made Akatsuki hurt for him, before standing a little bit and moving closer to the couch, but he did not sit down. "I suppose I won't get caught right now," he said wryly, but his furrowed brow removed some of the light-heartedness from those words. "In our original world…magic does exist, Akatsuki."

The Assassin remained silent as her lord continued telling her about the society his aunt and uncle were a part of, told her of how foolish those people were, how censorship ran rampant in the media, how the purity of magic in one's blood was all that mattered, leading to inbreeding in some families because of this fanatical belief.

"I was born in a magical family without magic, so was considered a disgrace," he told her. "My aunt and uncle are actually my birth parents." His lips thinned at the thought of them, conflicting emotions in his eyes. "They denied their relation to me and sent me to live in the Shirogane household, but they are kind to my little brother, so I guess that's all that matters."

Akatsuki greatly disagreed with that sentiment, and made that known. "What they did was disgraceful," she told him, hard-eyed and absolutely certain with what she was saying, her hand rising up to grab hold of his sleeve in an attempt to both offer him comfort and gain some comfort of her own. "But…without that, I doubt we would have met. I hate that it happened to you my lord, but I am ashamed to say that I would not wish for it to be any different." The young woman looked down, not wanting to see his angry or disappointment.

She was therefore startled when his other hand patted her on the head, reassuring and gentle, and she looked up to see him smiling back down at her. "I wouldn't want to change what happened either, Akatsuki." And those words, spoken sincerely and without any hesitation, made the Assassin smile back, glad to know that her lord would never regret meeting her.

* * *

It took two years in that world, two months in the real world, for them to properly figure out everything they needed to do in order for them to leave and be able to come back as they please. Elder Tale was their world too now, after all. It was sad to say goodbye to all of them, but Shiroe knew it was the best way to keep the balance in both of their worlds.

Shiroe (he couldn't really think of himself as Kei anymore if he was completely honest) woke up in the hospital in the coma ward, blinking hazily before he got hold of his glasses. He did a quick check of his person (and was rather pleased to realize that he had somehow grown those few centimeters that had separated him from his avatar's height) and froze as he felt a cold fire burning away in his chest.

Very similar to how his Enchanter magic would feel if he concentrated on it.

The young man didn't let any of these thoughts show on his face as he mechanically went through the motions the surprised hospital staff put him through, checking his mobility and memory and ability to reason before they discharged him back into the world. He didn't let his thoughts waiver as he walked back to his tiny dorm and sat in his computer chair. He focused his magic, and cast the simple illumination spell all magic users had.

The light spirit blinked into existence in front of him, looking happy and curious to see him.

Shiroe proceeded to have a very controlled panic attack.

* * *

"So I have my Enchanter magic from Elder Tales," he finally said once he'd finished staring blankly at his light spirit and going through the brief identity crisis that'd risen up inside him. The spirit blinked back in confirmation, and he chuckled a little as he patted it on the head. "Right. Why did this happen?" He frowned briefly before glancing around his room in a fruitless search for clues. "Nothing out of place, no rune circles or charmed objects." He hummed a little as he tossed the spirit up in the air and caught it as it fell down, eliciting excited squeals from the tiny spirit.

"Is it because I'm a squib? Perhaps the magic in that other world got tied to my own being, if you believe that something in your blood honestly makes you capable of performing magic. Or maybe I didn't have a magical core, and it was grown in Elder Tales and remained after we left."

Shiroe furrowed his brow as he thought longer on it. "That one seems the most reasonable, given the circumstances and how few squibs are likely to play an electronic game in the first place, never mind an online game at that." As he stirred over these thoughts, a knock on his door woke him from his musings. With a quick dismissal of the light spirit that had drooped sadly at what it knew would happen, Shiroe stood and answered the door.

While there was a small jolt of surprise at seeing Krusty standing there, adjusting his glasses smugly and dressed in a formal business suit that seemed to fit him, it paled in comparison to the relief that hit him when he felt arms wrap around his middle and cling to him as if he'd disappear if she even loosened her grip. "I found you, my lord." He heard, barely over the sounds of his breathing, and he smiled and hugged her back.

"You found me, Akatsuki."

Then Naotsugu appeared, clapping him on the shoulder and loudly describing how Krusty had hunted a bunch of them down and he was one of the businessmen who help run Elder Tales and did Shiroe know that? Also Krusty convinced some of the executives to make an apartments throughout Japan for a bunch of the players to help them be integrated back into society and all of Log Horizon was cordially invited and Shiroe just let the chaos and sounds wash over him as he hugged Akatsuki just as tightly as she hugged him, taking strength from her as she took stability from him.

He only offered mild protest when he began discussing moving all of his stuff and the building's closeness to his school, unbothered by the vice grip his Assassin had on his sleeve as he spoke with Krusty. An hour later, and everything was out of his room and he'd spoken with the landlord, who was somewhat sad to see him go as he was one of the quieter residents but wished him well in future endeavors. Shiroe smiled back at him, aware of the Guardian hovering behind him and the Assassin at his side.

Things can only get better from here.

* * *

"I still have my Enchanter magic," Shiroe informed them one day during the Apartment Round Table Conference, which only housed Krusty, Isaac, Soujirou, Akatsuki and Naotsugu. They were all in Shiroe's lodging, sitting at the kotatsu and drinking tea as they held their second Apartment Round Table Conference since they all moved in.

When the four tanks stared at him blankly, Shiroe sighed and called the light spirit into his hand once more, which squealed in happiness immediately upon seeing him. As it hovered up to his shoulder to proudly take its place there, the Enchanter looked around at his friends staring in bafflement before him. "Why does this only seem to happen to you, Shiroe-kun?" Krusty asked, examining the creature that blinked at him before hiding behind its master.

"He has a point, Villain. This is getting ridiculous." Isaac looked incredibly put upon, like he couldn't even be bothered to be surprised that something strange was happening around Shiroe, and just took a large gulp of tea from his cup.

"Does it have something to do with the magic in this world, my lord?" The ever-faithful Akatsuki asked, eyes fixed on the tiny floating spirit with interest.

Her question made the others freeze, the tanks in surprise and Shiroe in apprehension for what was to come. "Shiro…" Sure enough, Naotsugu was looking at him in exasperation and the Enchanter sank a little into himself.

"In this world, there are secret groups of unique…"

As he struggled to find the words to describe the magical world, Akatsuki cut in. "Idiots who are centuries behind in progress, irredeemably corrupt, and viewed my lord as a burden when he was born without their type of magic." It was very likely that the Assassin wouldn't care less about the group and would have regarded them with cool dismissal if they hadn't treated Shiroe so poorly as a child. And because they had, they were officially on a list and were subject to her blatant derision.

"I seem to notice an interesting pattern with fools when it comes to Shiro-senpai," Soujirou pointed out serenely, eyes closed but the grip on his cup suspiciously tight. "Specifically that they can't seem to see his actual worth as a person."

Isaac snorted in agreement, putting his cup down harder than anticipated. "Why can't we kill idiots again, Villain? You have a weird rule for them."

Shiroe felt a migraine forming and rubbed the bridge of his nose in an effort to stave it off. "It's not a weird rule for them, it was a rule for everyone, and it was 'they can't come back to life' if I'm not mistaken. I wish you were the only person that needed to be reminded of that rule." Shiroe did not look at _any_ of them in particular; they were all guilty of asking about that rule at least once anyway, so there would be no point.

Naotsugu smiled back unrepentantly and Akatsuki refilled Shiroe's cup, neither denying the accusation. "I can't even say I'm hurt by what they did anymore," he admitted to them, cradling the refilled cup in his hands. "From what I understand the Potter line is has a lot of influence and having a non-magical child be their firstborn would've easily done massive amounts of damage to them. There's also ridiculous theories in the magical community about how raising a squib in a magical environment can only lead to resentment and killing the magical people in their sleep or something." He shrugged at some of the incredulous looks. "Their argument was flawed so I stopped listening after a while."

"So they won't come try to kill you because you have magic now, right?" Isaac asked for clarification, one hand clenching as if ready to reach for the sword at his side.

Shiroe sighed. "Unlikely. From how little reaction I've received for revealing so much about the society – normally they would wipe people's memories if information got out – I can only assume that they can't sense my magic, or it may not register as magic to them as it isn't their type of magic. That would be the only thing that could explain why I can remember the last week without any significant holes in my memory."

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter," Krusty finally decided. "If they can't sense Shiroe-kun's magic, then there will be no need for us to interact with the magical world outside of Shiroe-kun speaking with his family." Shiroe immediately agreed with the leader of DDD, the others a step behind him.

That world rejected him years ago, and Shiroe wasn't going to turn to it just because he had magic now.

* * *

As the months crept by, quickly at first and then slowly once Shiroe finished the classes he needed to graduate with a Masters in Engineering, the Enchanter felt a slowly growing feeling of dread lodge itself in his chest. He wasn't quite sure of the cause for it either; he had graduated with good marks, the others in the apartment with him were all doing well, he found a good paying job that was rather lenient with its hours, and the Kirin sanctuary was doing fine.

(It was better than fine. Now the adults would dip their heads whenever he passed, and the children would nuzzle his hands and follow him like they had in his youth, frolicking around him whenever he summoned his light spirit to see in the dark or for companionship. He still didn't tell anyone about it; the others would give him looks when he'd express his confusion, he was sure.)

It was only when the 2nd of November was upon them, and his unease was at its highest and even affecting those around him, that he found out what had happened. And he wished he hadn't.

The news arrived in the form of an owl that tapped on his window until he opened it. After he did so, the owl held out its leg and it was only then that Shiroe caught sight of the letter attached to the bird. The uneasy feeling he'd had this entire time was reaching its peak and he untied the letter and requested the bird wait for him to read it and formulate a reply. The bird acquiesced and perched on a chair, and Shiroe gave it some of his breakfast and a bowl of water before breaking the seal and opening the letter.

_**Kei Shirogane, n** **é** **Potter,** _

_**We regret to inform you of your brother and sister-in-law's passing. They fought bravely against the Dark Lord but succumbed to him on October 31, 1981.** _

_**Prior to the Lord and Lady Potter's passing, the two added an addendum to their will that brought you in, making you proxy to the Potter line until their son is of an age to inherit it himself. Furthermore, your recent acquisition of magic has made you eligible to gain the Potter Headship by right.** _

_**When you are prepared to speak with us on their will and the duties assigned to you as either proxy or as the true Head of the Potter line, touch the medallion found within this envelope and say "Gringotts".** _

_**We extend our condolences to you and yours. Though they were wizards, the Lord and Lady Potter were true warriors and fought valiantly against Lord Voldemort.** _

_**Signed,** _

_**Ragnok, Goblin Chieftain** _

Shiroe stared blankly at the paper in his hands, trying to understand what it was telling him. When his vision began to blur, he startled for a moment, before realizing that he was crying. His brother…his sister-in-law…two of the people who never deserved such a fate…

Shiroe suddenly found himself on the ground, his hands shaking, Thorn-Bind brambles covering the ground as his magic instinctively lashed out at his upheaval of emotions. He heard his door slam open, and distantly heard the cries of "Shiro!" and "my lord!"

He could barely feel anything as the brambles retreated from his companions' reach, to prevent them from being injured. Everything around him sounded as if he was underwater. A pair of hands pressed down on his shoulders and he heard Akatsuki's voice. "My lord, you need to breathe." She sounded concerned, and it took Shiroe a few seconds to realize that he had in fact stopped breathing at some point.

Dragging in a ragged gasp of air, his thoughts clarified and Shiroe was slowly beginning to calm down. "Apologies," he muttered after he had breathed enough to talk comfortably, and his Assassin made sounds that both comforted him and admonished him for apologizing.

"What happened, Shiro?" Naotsugu asked, handing Shiroe a bottle of water and eyeing him until he took a sip from it. Rather than say anything, the Enchanter handed him the letter, keeping a tight grip on the envelope and the portkey within it. "We regret to inform you…" Naotsugu muttered aloud, before going silent as he registered the words on the page. "Man, Shiro, I'm sorry," he said awkwardly, obviously not knowing what to do and passed the letter to Akatsuki for her to read.

The Assassin skimmed the letter quickly before putting it down and tightening her grip on her lord, shooting Naotsugu a look until he joined her in comforting their friend. She patted Shiroe on the head in an attempt to soothe the ache she knew would be building there. "We should go there as soon as possible," she told him, gentle but firm. "It states that their son is still alive."

"Harry," he told her, adding on, "We'll need to make sure that he is settled in the correct spot." With his regain in awareness, the brambles scattered around the room slowly receded, converting back into magic and return to his body. Shiroe tried to stand up, but his knees buckled a little from the strength that had been sapped from him.

Naotsugu stabilized him immediately. "Easy there Shiro. We'll go tomorrow; you need to sleep and eat and organize your thoughts.

He agreed and took another sip from the bottle he hadn't let go of. "We'll also need to inform the Round Table here of…what has taken place. The goblins are the businessmen of the magical world, and so Krusty's input would be appreciated."

The two nodded and began badgering him to eat some of his food. He did so and penned a shaky letter that said he understood and would arrive tomorrow if conditions were willing. After he did that and paid the bird for sending the letter, it nipped his fingers in thanks for the food before turning and flying out through the open window.

The rest of the day was spent with the two hovering around him and, when some of the others caught sight of how out of it Shiroe looked (because whether he would admit it or not, he had begun to take death for granted; it had been trivialized by the game they had spent two of their years playing, and Shiroe hadn't realized until right then), they were quick to congregate around him. His news was eventually spread out to their group, and they quickly decided that Krusty, Isaac and Akatsuki would go with him to finalize his brother's will and make sure the arrangement with Harry's godparents was as planned.

Shiroe went to bed early, with Akatsuki acting as lookout in the corner of his room, and he would never admit that it was her promise to keep an eye on things as he slept that made it so much easier to fall asleep.

* * *

Swiftshiv was acting as lookout for the portkey landing pad when four people arrived, all of them looking a little out of sorts from the unpredictable mode of travel. The goblin hid his amusement and addressed them eyes assessing. "Kei Shirogane?" he asked, and a lanky male stepped forward.

"I am he," the man acknowledged, followed by a bow as the others eyed the banker warily, as if anticipating an attack, and Swiftshiv reluctantly approved and bowed back, well aware of the guards standing behind him at the ready.

"Thank you for arriving in a timely manner; please follow me to Account Manager Sharprock's office." The human did as much with his silent but prepared entourage, and Swiftshiv tried to read the group's capabilities from where he was walking. Like Shirogane, who was wearing black in mourning for his lost kin, the girl beside him was wearing the same, but was also was equipped with a short blade she kept out in blatant warning for anyone foolish enough to attack her.

The large red-haired man was doing something similar, wearing large black plate armor but with a blade taller than him strapped to his back in clear view. The blonde was dressed in business attire but looked around at the goblins with the eye of a person eager to cause bloodshed. Shirogane certainly had impressive companions, though there was little of the man himself that has impressed Swiftshiv so far.

"Out of curiosity," the man asked, and the goblin grunted for him to continue, "What are the goblins' stances on wizards?"

Swiftshiv grunted distastefully. "They are cowards who hoard their knowledge from other beings in a bid to remain "in power", and degrade and belittle any creature that is not themselves. You are considered a squib to them, correct?"

"Yes," he answered easily, even as the girl beside him bristled at the supposed offense. "Even though I gained magic at a later age, because it is a magic they cannot sense or recognize, I remain a squib amongst wizardkind."

"So you are aware of their foolishness," he pointed out sharply, the goblin guards making sounds of agreement. "You have dealt with it from a young age."

"I have," Shirogane pointed out serenely. "And while I have no interest in remaining in the wizarding world beyond what is necessary, I hope that I may maintain a correspondence with the goblin kingdom."

"I will express your interests to the Chieftain." Was all Swiftshiv said in response, but that was a promising sign among the goblins, whether Shirogane was aware of it or not. The blonde walking behind Shirogane to his right adjusted his glasses and made the light gleam off of them, obscuring his eyes from view. He wondered why that was strangely unnerving.

He knocked twice on the door before entering, the humans waiting outside until Swiftshiv waved them in. "This is Shirogane and his guard, here to discuss matters for the late Lord and Lady Potter's death." It only occurred to him right then that none of the humans had bothered giving their names, and they had been correct to assume that such information was unnecessary and simply wasted time to the goblins.

The small female gripped Shirogane's sleeve when they brought up his family's death, but the man gave no visible response to the words. The two goblins nodded sharply. Good; they didn't wish to deal with the human's grief, and expressing such emotions in front of strangers was a sign of weakness among them.

"Thank you Swiftshiv for your timely delivery of us to the Account Manager, and please pass my regards on to your manager in regards to your diligence in seeing us here," was all the potential proxy had to say to him, along with a slight bow that Swiftshiv mirrored before seeing himself out. He rather hoped the Chieftain would allow further business be conducted with Shirogane; he, unlike many wizards, didn't waste time outside of what was needed in such a setting.

* * *

"Thank you for setting this up so efficiently," Shiroe said, even as he stepped forward to sit across from the Account Manager. His friends fanned out around him, both to better protect him if such a thing is required and to provide support as he talked out details of his brother and sister-in-law's death. "As a thank you and as an outside party entering your domain for the first time, I brought gifts."

Before the goblin's raised eyebrow, he produced a vial of dark red liquid and a leather-bound book. "The first is Kirin blood, willingly imparted to me by the Kirin from the family sanctuary. The second is a copy of a book I found in the family library that details the process of wandlore and wand crafting." At the goblin's rare surprise Shiroe only looked grim and disapproving. "In an attempt to one up one another, but wizardkind and your people have tried to restrict specific knowledge to only a certain few, something I find foolish and believe can only lead to more conflict between your societies. This is an attempt to help bridge that gap."

"I thank you for both gifts," Sharprock said formally as he handled the vial of blood with reverence and had the book sent down to the archives for examination and copying. "While Kirin are known to be peaceful creatures, many forget that they will destroy anything they view as evil. Their blood can be used in rune placing on armor and weapons for purification purposes. And it was indeed the lack of openness in the wand making that made us goblins rebel at one point. We are not willing to share our magic with people who will not share theirs.

"But we can talk of politics on a later day; that is not what we are here for currently." The goblin said as it adjusted some of the folders around itself, before pulling out a sheet of parchment. "As you have gained magic through a ritual of some sort, you have become the Head of the Potter Family following your younger brother's death. Or, as his blood is continued by Harry James Potter, you may act as a proxy until Harry is of age to decide what he wishes to do for himself."

"I will become a proxy, as I do not wish to remain in the wizarding world for any large length of time, and merely want to continue correspondence with those I find worth doing so with," Shiroe answered easily, and ignored the muffled snigger he heard from Isaac's side of the room. The goblin merely nodded and waved a hand over a ring he removed from a nearby box and handed it to him.

"This is the Potter Family ring, and it will recognize you as the Family proxy until Harry James Potter is of age to decide whether he wishes to be the Family Head or not."

Shiroe nodded in response and put the ring on his right ring finger, where it seemed to meld itself to fit perfectly there. "Speaking of my nephew, is he well? Was he placed with the appropriate godparents and so on?"

Sharprock reached for another folder and opened it, before an ugly frown crossed his face. The look made both Shiroe and Krusty sharpen their focus on him. "What seems to be the matter?" Shiroe asked, trying to sound coaxing but only sounding brusque and sharp instead.

"It would appear that the Potters' wills had been sealed away by Albus Dumbledore the day after their deaths. Luckily for you, we keep information regarding guardianship in multiple archives outside of just the parents' wills." Looking annoyed at the holdup the absent wizard had caused him, Sharprock shifted through the papers until he found what he was looking for. "Here it is – it says that, should neither parent live before Harry is of age, Sirius Black was to be the child's godparent, followed by Frank and Alice Longbottom if Sirius is unable to be his guardian."

Sharprock tapped a clawed fingertip to the table as he read those words aloud, and explain the mounting dilemma to the humans present. "Sirius Black was accused of being the cause of the Potters' deaths and has been sent to Azkaban after killing Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles alongside that."

The look in Shiroe's eyes was cold and unforgiving. "And he was found guilty of aiding Voldemort in murdering my family?" he asked, and the goblin skimmed the paper before frowning.

"He was, in fact, not given a trial at all and was instead immediately sent to Azkaban." That gave the humans pause at such a strange situation.

"So he might not be the murderer," Isaac pointed out and, under the weight of many eyes staring at him, he scowled and shrugged as if to remove some of the pressure. "Just saying; if you don't want someone to be believed, you make sure no one has a reason to believe them. Making them a criminal is a good way of doing that."

"Indeed," Shiroe adjusted his glasses, Krusty doing the same next to him, and offered the goblin a smile that was more teeth than kindness. "As the temporary Head of the Potter Family, the ones wronged by this man's actions, I demand that a trial take place so that due course of action may be met. And, as you are a neutral force in the magical world, I will entrust that this is carried out as efficiently as possible under your steady eyes. I will pay what is necessary for your rendered services."

"It will be done," Sharprock nodded immediately, looking at one of the guards to have him pass the message along to their lawyers and courts. "Continuing on, the couple that was chosen to be godparents if Sirius Black was not available was Frank and Alice Longbottom. However, they were attacked recently and were tortured to insanity. They are now in the Hospital in the Unrecoverable Wing."

Shiroe frowned at that but it was Krusty who spoke. "And what of their family? Did they have a child as well?"

"They did. He is in the care of his Grandmother, Augusta Longbottom."

Krusty nodded. "Very well, thank you."

"Hm," the goblin grunted back, and continued. "If neither of these people are available…strange; it appears that _you_ were meant to be the Potter son's godfather if neither Sirius Black nor the Longbottom family are available."

That made Shiroe's eyes widen, for more reasons than one. "They never told me their intentions of making me even a candidate for being a godparent," he said, a little bit panicky at the idea of being responsible for a one year old, but Akatsuki grabbed his wrist.

"My lord can handle it," she said faithfully, and Isaac laughed.

"Yeah, and you act like we're going to let you raise the kid on your own. We don't need more Villains running around."

Both their words, reassuring in their own ways, helped calm Shiroe down enough to continue with his questions. "I'll keep that in mind," he sent back to Isaac, before facing Sharprock once more. "I did not receive any messages telling me of my new position as godfather."

"And you wouldn't have," the goblin said, with slowly mounting anger at the paper before him. "It appears that Albus Dumbledore attempted to assume the role of Magical Guardian and, as the wizards accepted this without actually checking _our records_ to know that you have the position alongside being his legal guardian, he sent the Potter child to Vernon and Petunia Dursley."

"Lily's sister?" Shiroe asked disbelievingly. "But she hates the magical world and resents her sister for having magic." That had been one of their more awkward conversations, as Lily had been concerned about how he felt as the "scorned" older sibling. "Why would he send Harry there?"

"I do not know, but it would appear that his many titles are getting to his head. We at Gringotts will rectify this as much as we can; we do not appreciate wizards trying to force our hand, no matter how _venerable_ they think themselves to be." He spat the word 'venerable' out as if it were dirty.

They continued talking for another hour, checking that the trust fund was acceptable and that the multiple properties that the Potters had would be well cared for by discussing house elves to buy and get settled. Shiroe left with the others and with the promise that they would do business later. "I think that went well," he said to the others, with varied responses.

"Yes, my lord."

"I'll say; they looked ecstatic with how ruthless you were."

"Indeed, they appeared quite eager to continue business with someone they consider competent."

Shiroe looked at the three and slowly nodded. "Right. Next stop: getting my nephew out of his current household."

* * *

While getting out of Diagon Alley had been a little difficult, they did manage it eventually, and the four were quick to flag down a taxi. Akatsuki, Isaac and Krusty left the talking to Shiroe, not as comfortable with English as he was, and he quickly waved away their weapons and outfits as props for a play they were working on to the nervous cabbie.

When they arrived at the neighborhood, which took a bit of time as it wasn't as close as anticipated, Shiroe had to grab Isaac's armor as he took one look at the cookie cutter, boring layout and tried to get back in the cab to leave.

"I do not like this, my lord," Akatsuki announced evenly, her grip tightening on the blade strapped to her lower back until Shiroe used his other hand to gently squeeze her arm in an attempt to offer support.

"Neither do I," he told them wearily. "But if we don't like it here, I can't imagine Harry would like growing up here either. We'll go in, have the documents for Harry's mundane guardianship signed so that it transfers over to me, grab Harry, and leave." He had this planned perfectly set up, but something in his gut told him he wasn't going to like something he would see in there. The others sensed his unease and tightened their ranks, so the Enchanter took a deep breath and knocked on the door to Number 4, Privet Drive.

A thin woman with a long face answered the door, took one look at him, and promptly screamed. As Shiroe was recovering from the damage to his ears, she stumbled backwards and left the door open for them to walk in. "You should be dead!" she cried, and he cocked his head to the side until the realization hit him hard in the gut.

He gave her a cold smile. "My brother James is indeed dead, Mrs. Dursley. I am simply here to pick up my nephew and have you sign over custody of him."

"Pet! Is something wron – you! What are your lot doing in my house?!" A fat man appeared wielding a rifle, and Akatsuki moved on instinct, crossing the distance separating them in an instant and holding her blade even with his throat.

"I would suggest you cease antagonizing my lord," she told him, her blade not moving as she spoke, and the fat man immediately silenced, his face turning an unattractive puce.

"I see that I was correct in assuming you wouldn't be open-minded about having magical people – or indeed people you think of as 'abnormal' – in your house, let alone a magical child. Please sign these papers so that we may leave." Shiroe moved the family into their sitting room and handed her the papers, which she snatched and shakily read over, before looking back up.

"And why do you think I would just hand over the boy like that?" She asked, more to test his response then out of actual defiance.

Nonetheless, the look Shiroe shot her was frigid and unwelcoming. "Unlike you, Mrs. Dursley, I actually love my younger sibling, even when he had magic and I did not, and I will do anything to ensure James and Lily's son is safe and cared for. Now," he concluded as she grew paler and ashamed, "please sign these documents."

As she went about doing as he requested, Isaac took Akatsuki's place in intimidating the husband to keep him from interfering (and he seemed to be rather enjoying himself, the Enchanter noted), while Akatsuki went upstairs to look for the young child in question. Petunia Dursley had just finished and returned the papers to Shiroe when the Assassin returned, empty-handed and concerned. "My lord, I found a young blonde child, but did not see any that resembled the picture you showed me of your brother or sister-in-law."

Shiroe frowned at that as well and looked at Petunia, reading the way she stiffened and how her eyes flickered – not flickered, _glanced_ out into the hall. His expression tightened and, behind him, Krusty grew unnervingly still.

The Archmage of Teldeshia rose up from his chair, fully assuming the persona of the Villain-in-Glasses, and swept around the others, Akatsuki following in his shadow. When he opened up the cupboard under the stairs, he stared at the sleeping infant he found within, and glanced at the dangerously quiet girl behind him. "They have a child, you said?"

"Yes my lord," she answered promptly, before adding, "though I do not think they should have one if this is how they treat another."

"I agree with you," he told her calmly, belying the absolute anger that was rising inside him. "But that is not our place to say. We are removing Harry from the situation now, and that is what matters. If we try to report it now, there is no telling how long the mundane authorities would take to decide that Harry would be safer going with us." He adjusted his glasses a little, and picked the baby up, cradling him in his arms.

Young Harry didn't stir once, though his magic seemed to calm when it came in contact with Shiroe.

When the Enchanter returned to the sitting room, Krusty's lips thinned as he read the situation and came to the same conclusion as Shiroe, and Isaac's face darkened, his grip on the fat man's shoulder tightening until he hit the ground in an attempt to avoid some of the pain. "We will be taking our leave of you. And Mrs. Dursley," he added when she began to look far too relaxed while they were still in the room and holding a child that she had kept locked in her cupboard. "I warn you to not treat all children you know this way." He smiled. "You wouldn't like what would happen if I hear you are doing something that _unnatural_."

He swept out after that, Akatsuki at his side and Isaac and Krusty a step behind at his flanks.

This is how it begins.

The question now is: how will it end?

**Author's Note:**

> First off: THIS WILL NOT BE CONTINUED. Seriously, this is complete. It started as a thought exercise and got way out of hand. Outside of that, I hope this will begin my journey into the Log Horizon fandom.


End file.
